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Sikh captain wins order blocking U.S. Army from excessive testing
Source: Reuters
World | Fri Mar 4, 2016 5:43pm EST
Sikh captain wins order blocking U.S. Army from excessive testing
WASHINGTON | BY DAVID ALEXANDER
A Sikh Army captain has been granted a restraining order barring senior Army officials from forcing him to undergo $32,000 in testing before deciding whether he can wear a beard, uncut hair and turban as required by his religious beliefs.
Captain Simratpal Singh, a West Point graduate who served in Afghanistan, had been ordered to undergo the testing before a March 31 decision on whether to grant him permanent permission to dress according to the tenets of his faith.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who issued the restraining order on Thursday, said "at first blush" the testing seemed reasonable to ensure that Singh could safely wear a helmet and gas mask if allowed to keep long hair and a beard. But she noted Singh had just passed a standard gas mask test with his unit.
"Thousands of other soldiers are permitted to wear long hair and beards for medical or other reasons, without being subjected to such specialized and costly expert testing of their helmets and gas masks," Howell wrote in issuing the restraining order.
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Sikh captain wins order blocking U.S. Army from excessive testing
WASHINGTON | BY DAVID ALEXANDER
A Sikh Army captain has been granted a restraining order barring senior Army officials from forcing him to undergo $32,000 in testing before deciding whether he can wear a beard, uncut hair and turban as required by his religious beliefs.
Captain Simratpal Singh, a West Point graduate who served in Afghanistan, had been ordered to undergo the testing before a March 31 decision on whether to grant him permanent permission to dress according to the tenets of his faith.
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who issued the restraining order on Thursday, said "at first blush" the testing seemed reasonable to ensure that Singh could safely wear a helmet and gas mask if allowed to keep long hair and a beard. But she noted Singh had just passed a standard gas mask test with his unit.
"Thousands of other soldiers are permitted to wear long hair and beards for medical or other reasons, without being subjected to such specialized and costly expert testing of their helmets and gas masks," Howell wrote in issuing the restraining order.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-army-religion-idUSKCN0W62O8
